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Superfoods Experiment – Nutrient Dense Food Chart

Here’s a scientific approach to the idea of superfoods. First, a little background on the experiments objective.

Powerhouse fruits and vegetables (PFV), foods most strongly associated with reduced chronic disease risk, are described as green leafy, yellow/orange, citrus, and cruciferous items, but a clear definition of PFV is lacking . Defining PFV on the basis of nutrient and phytochemical constituents is suggested.

However, uniform data on food phytochemicals and corresponding intake recommendations are lacking. This article describes a classification scheme defining PFV on the basis of 17 nutrients of public health importance per the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Institute of Medicine (ie, potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K).

Now keep in mind that this experiment doesn’t take into account antioxidants or other benefits to eating superfoods. The focus is the density of the 17 above mentioned nutrients in the foods evaluated.